Ole, Giggs, Keane and a team of analysts

UnitedSofa

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The old guard are back in town and Ole is making all the right changes and bringing in all the right back room staff to help the team get to where they need to be. Great news if you ask me!

REVEALED: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has brought in Manchester United legends Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs for talks with squad - plus a new team of analysts - to transform his team and move joint-top of the Premier League
  • Man United are thriving at the top of the table after a revamp inside the club
  • Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has brought in legends such as Roy Keane, it is reported
  • Darren Fletcher was confirmed as a new member of the coaching staff
  • He has taken an interest in data and has hired analysts to help the team
  • Solskjaer is aiming to improve team by 20 per cent each year with his measures
Manchester United's dramatic turnaround in form has coincided with a host of changes behind the scenes made by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - and it is reported that he has drafted in club legends Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs to inspire the team.

.....


The £37million recruit (Diallo) will join a group that is thriving under a set of analysts and specialists aiming to improve performance on the smallest of scales, the Athletic says. Solskjaer has overhauled his backroom staff and hired head of data Andrew Meredith - who feeds information to coaches and players - while head of performance Richard Hawkins analyses the group from a physical perspective.

Martyn Pert, who has been at United since last season, specialises in keeping players who aren't playing fit and ensuring they are ready when called upon.

And in addition to securing experts on the training ground, he's also been keen to ensure there are people present who know the club inside out.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...Ryan-Giggs-team-analysts-tranform-United.html
 

Pogue Mahone

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Re the new performance/fitness guys, I don’t want to tempt fate (and I may delete this post!) but we do seem to be better at avoiding injuries than we have in a long time. Even more notable with all our rivals struggling and such a relentless schedule of games to play.
 

Bojan11

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Can he bring in Rio and Vidic to talk to the defence?
 

Bojan11

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Re the new performance/fitness guys, I don’t want to tempt fate (and I may delete this post!) but we do seem to be better at avoiding injuries than we have in a long time. Even more notable with all our rivals struggling and such a relentless schedule of games to play.
Eric Bailly is the perfect case study as he’s our most injury prone player. I am not including Jones because he’s not going to play even if he’s fit.
 

Sylar

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Good read and we can see noticeable differences in fitness. The one good thing is we are managing to turn games around and going to the end. Any and all things that might help, no matter how little, could be key

Can he bring in Rio and Vidic to talk to the defence?
Maguire: so what did you guys learn from watching jagielka tapes?
...walk into a bar
I laughed, heh
 
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Genius from Ole. If we go on a 3 match losing streak and are 5-8th in a few weeks we won’t blame him or the players :lol:

My thoughts: I hope I’m wrong. Also don’t know the full story as only read the headlines but I think it might be a mistake.

1) It undermines what Ole and the players have done by feeling the need to bring in the ex players, many of whom have been critical of the players as pundits and most of whom have flopped as managers and coaches.

2) Let’s be honest, most of the players probably don’t even give two fecks about Giggs or Keane, they respect them as ex players but doesn’t mean they’ll be inspired by them. Those players have lost their aura by being on tv every other week and by being relative failures as managers. This type of thing you do one day when Ronaldo retires, or you bring in someone like Cantona, or even SAF. Giggs? Has anyone actually heard him talk? Not very inspiring. Keane ? Too old school no charisma, great when his in the trenches with you, but the type you’d want to stfu when he’s talking from the outside.

3) In our squad we have De Gea whose won an EPL, we have Pogba whose won a World Cup and several Serie A titles, Bruno whose won stuff and is a born leader, give them the role let them inspire and motivate the likes of martial, rashford, Greenwood, etc that responsibility will also motivate them more whereas bringing in outsiders might demotivate.
 

golden_blunder

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Genius from Ole. If we go on a 3 match losing streak and are 5-8th in a few weeks we won’t blame him or the players :lol:

My thoughts: I hope I’m wrong. Also don’t know the full story as only read the headlines but I think it might be a mistake.

1) It undermines what Ole and the players have done by feeling the need to bring in the ex players, many of whom have been critical of the players as pundits and most of whom have flopped as managers and coaches.

2) Let’s be honest, most of the players probably don’t even give two fecks about Giggs or Keane, they respect them as ex players but doesn’t mean they’ll be inspired by them. Those players have lost their aura by being on tv every other week and by being relative failures as managers. This type of thing you do one day when Ronaldo retires, or you bring in someone like Cantona, or even SAF. Giggs? Has anyone actually heard him talk? Not very inspiring. Keane ? Too old school no charisma, great when his in the trenches with you, but the type you’d want to stfu when he’s talking from the outside.

3) In our squad we have De Gea whose won an EPL, we have Pogba whose won a World Cup and several Serie A titles, Bruno whose won stuff and is a born leader, give them the role let them inspire and motivate the likes of martial, rashford, Greenwood, etc that responsibility will also motivate them more whereas bringing in outsiders might demotivate.
Re point 2; I disagree. I think it’s important to hear from winners who have been through multiple winning league challenges to underline to players what’s needed to get over the line, focus, 1 game at a time, etc
 

Sandikan

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Genius from Ole. If we go on a 3 match losing streak and are 5-8th in a few weeks we won’t blame him or the players :lol:

My thoughts: I hope I’m wrong. Also don’t know the full story as only read the headlines but I think it might be a mistake.

1) It undermines what Ole and the players have done by feeling the need to bring in the ex players, many of whom have been critical of the players as pundits and most of whom have flopped as managers and coaches.

2) Let’s be honest, most of the players probably don’t even give two fecks about Giggs or Keane, they respect them as ex players but doesn’t mean they’ll be inspired by them. Those players have lost their aura by being on tv every other week and by being relative failures as managers. This type of thing you do one day when Ronaldo retires, or you bring in someone like Cantona, or even SAF. Giggs? Has anyone actually heard him talk? Not very inspiring. Keane ? Too old school no charisma, great when his in the trenches with you, but the type you’d want to stfu when he’s talking from the outside.

3) In our squad we have De Gea whose won an EPL, we have Pogba whose won a World Cup and several Serie A titles, Bruno whose won stuff and is a born leader, give them the role let them inspire and motivate the likes of martial, rashford, Greenwood, etc that responsibility will also motivate them more whereas bringing in outsiders might demotivate.
If you don't think Keane the most legendary Premier league captain of all time, or Giggs, the most decorated player of Premier league history, won't inspire our players, I think we'd have a much bigger issue in our squad than anyone could comprehend.
 

Green_Red

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Genius from Ole. If we go on a 3 match losing streak and are 5-8th in a few weeks we won’t blame him or the players :lol:

My thoughts: I hope I’m wrong. Also don’t know the full story as only read the headlines but I think it might be a mistake.

1) It undermines what Ole and the players have done by feeling the need to bring in the ex players, many of whom have been critical of the players as pundits and most of whom have flopped as managers and coaches.

2) Let’s be honest, most of the players probably don’t even give two fecks about Giggs or Keane, they respect them as ex players but doesn’t mean they’ll be inspired by them. Those players have lost their aura by being on tv every other week and by being relative failures as managers. This type of thing you do one day when Ronaldo retires, or you bring in someone like Cantona, or even SAF. Giggs? Has anyone actually heard him talk? Not very inspiring. Keane ? Too old school no charisma, great when his in the trenches with you, but the type you’d want to stfu when he’s talking from the outside.

3) In our squad we have De Gea whose won an EPL, we have Pogba whose won a World Cup and several Serie A titles, Bruno whose won stuff and is a born leader, give them the role let them inspire and motivate the likes of martial, rashford, Greenwood, etc that responsibility will also motivate them more whereas bringing in outsiders might demotivate.
You're wrong. Read this book. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/147210353X?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image
 

Halftrack

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Just do what Moyes did and show the defense video clips of Phil Jagielka
Imagine a manager being so incapable of adapting his style to suit the players at his disposal that he's asking a world class defender to emulate Phil fecking Jagielka.
 

DOTA

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Solskjaer has overhauled his backroom staff and hired head of data Andrew Meredith - who feeds information to coaches and players - while head of performance Richard Hawkins analyses the group from a physical perspective.

Martyn Pert, who has been at United since last season, specialises in keeping players who aren't playing fit and ensuring they are ready when called upon.
This seems to be written by someone who'd be shocked to learn the players don't wash their own kits anymore.
 

lRed

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I think, with his experience, Fletcher will help a lot.
In a mental health way, and also about his time with Ulcerative Colitis in 2011. Bailly will benefit for example, and I think others too, players who struggle with injuries very often.

Everything is going in the right direction, those are words your are reading a lot I know but I'm very convinced.
 

cyril C

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As far back during LVG and Mourinho era we learnt that there was a video analyst who would play back match video to players such as where were you when Ba started his counter-attack. We know every team must have a few fitness coach responsible for players fitness, whether on pitch or in Gym. I just wonder WHAT happen BEFORE we hire these 2. We never had any when Mourinho was sacked?
 

MikeKing

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Ah, so he is cheating. That's why he is successful.
 

justsomebloke

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Particularly happy about the increased emphasis on data. Now if only they will link that to transfers. All for the moneyball approach, me.
 

The Boy

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Seems this article was ripped off from the Athletic to a certain extent,

It can be found here https://theathletic.co.uk/2298260/2021/01/04/manchester-man-united-solskjaer/ but important excerpt is this...

United are taking a data-driven approach to recruitment and sports science among other things. Solskjaer has overhauled the backroom staff and brought in or promoted staff to roles in coaching, sports science, strength and conditioning, recruitment, youth and data analysis departments.

Martyn Pert arrived at the start of last season. He boasts a masters in sports science and went to Argentina to study Marcelo Bielsa’s methods. One of Pert’s roles is maximising training for players who aren’t playing, managing the balance between feeling down because they’re not playing and have missed out on selection, but needing to be as ready as they can when called upon. And they will be called upon because there are so many games.

United’s investment in youth has increased four-fold from 2015 when City and Chelsea were beating United to almost all the best young talents. They still don’t get the best young players they want. United missed out on Jude Bellingham despite scouting him more than 60 times since he was 12 and bringing Sir Alex Ferguson in to meet the family. Bellingham’s parents wanted to know how many minutes he’d play and United were under the impression that Dortmund had given that guarantee. United were never going to pay €120 million in football’s battered COVID-19 economy for Jadon Sancho in the summer. Time will tell if they made the right call on the Dortmund forward, who has only scored one league goal so far this season.

Solskjaer, a young manager like Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and Frank Lampard at Chelsea, feels he can change 20 per cent of the team each season. He’s going to need several transfer windows to do this, but he’s doing well. The overall squad health has improved but Solskjaer maintained he needed two or three top players to make United capable of challenging for titles. His door at the Carrington training ground remains open and his ever-expanding team go and talk to him with their ideas. They were less likely to do that under his predecessor, but Solskjaer likes to share responsibility.

Former players, from Roy Keane to Ryan Giggs, are brought in to speak to young players about their experiences and there is a family feel among the Carrington staff, a mixture of those with United pedigree and outside specialists like Andrew Meredith, the head of data who came from St Pauli. He adds more intelligence and depth alongside Paul Brand in performance analysis, providing the young coaches and players with information. Richard Hawkins, who is head of performance, is charged with analysing and feeding back data to the coaches on individual and team performances from a physical perspective. Simon Wells is the manager’s trusted eye to scout players. David Horrocks, from an academic background, looks for elite best practice from other sports. These are names — and there are many more — which are unfamiliar to the public and that’s how United want it. One manager who worked with Brand at Blackburn said: “He’s shit hot, the best I’ve worked with. He’s very discreet, which you need in his role.”

Looks like the cultural reboot is far more than just buying players that want to play for the club.
 

justsomebloke

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Seems this article was ripped off from the Athletic to a certain extent,

It can be found here https://theathletic.co.uk/2298260/2021/01/04/manchester-man-united-solskjaer/ but important excerpt is this...

United are taking a data-driven approach to recruitment and sports science among other things. Solskjaer has overhauled the backroom staff and brought in or promoted staff to roles in coaching, sports science, strength and conditioning, recruitment, youth and data analysis departments.

Martyn Pert arrived at the start of last season. He boasts a masters in sports science and went to Argentina to study Marcelo Bielsa’s methods. One of Pert’s roles is maximising training for players who aren’t playing, managing the balance between feeling down because they’re not playing and have missed out on selection, but needing to be as ready as they can when called upon. And they will be called upon because there are so many games.

United’s investment in youth has increased four-fold from 2015 when City and Chelsea were beating United to almost all the best young talents. They still don’t get the best young players they want. United missed out on Jude Bellingham despite scouting him more than 60 times since he was 12 and bringing Sir Alex Ferguson in to meet the family. Bellingham’s parents wanted to know how many minutes he’d play and United were under the impression that Dortmund had given that guarantee. United were never going to pay €120 million in football’s battered COVID-19 economy for Jadon Sancho in the summer. Time will tell if they made the right call on the Dortmund forward, who has only scored one league goal so far this season.

Solskjaer, a young manager like Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and Frank Lampard at Chelsea, feels he can change 20 per cent of the team each season. He’s going to need several transfer windows to do this, but he’s doing well. The overall squad health has improved but Solskjaer maintained he needed two or three top players to make United capable of challenging for titles. His door at the Carrington training ground remains open and his ever-expanding team go and talk to him with their ideas. They were less likely to do that under his predecessor, but Solskjaer likes to share responsibility.

Former players, from Roy Keane to Ryan Giggs, are brought in to speak to young players about their experiences and there is a family feel among the Carrington staff, a mixture of those with United pedigree and outside specialists like Andrew Meredith, the head of data who came from St Pauli. He adds more intelligence and depth alongside Paul Brand in performance analysis, providing the young coaches and players with information. Richard Hawkins, who is head of performance, is charged with analysing and feeding back data to the coaches on individual and team performances from a physical perspective. Simon Wells is the manager’s trusted eye to scout players. David Horrocks, from an academic background, looks for elite best practice from other sports. These are names — and there are many more — which are unfamiliar to the public and that’s how United want it. One manager who worked with Brand at Blackburn said: “He’s shit hot, the best I’ve worked with. He’s very discreet, which you need in his role.”

Looks like the cultural reboot is far more than just buying players that want to play for the club.
I'm loving this. Most encouraging thing I've read in a long while.
 
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Genius from Ole. If we go on a 3 match losing streak and are 5-8th in a few weeks we won’t blame him or the players :lol:

My thoughts: I hope I’m wrong. Also don’t know the full story as only read the headlines but I think it might be a mistake.

1) It undermines what Ole and the players have done by feeling the need to bring in the ex players, many of whom have been critical of the players as pundits and most of whom have flopped as managers and coaches.

2) Let’s be honest, most of the players probably don’t even give two fecks about Giggs or Keane, they respect them as ex players but doesn’t mean they’ll be inspired by them. Those players have lost their aura by being on tv every other week and by being relative failures as managers. This type of thing you do one day when Ronaldo retires, or you bring in someone like Cantona, or even SAF. Giggs? Has anyone actually heard him talk? Not very inspiring. Keane ? Too old school no charisma, great when his in the trenches with you, but the type you’d want to stfu when he’s talking from the outside.

3) In our squad we have De Gea whose won an EPL, we have Pogba whose won a World Cup and several Serie A titles, Bruno whose won stuff and is a born leader, give them the role let them inspire and motivate the likes of martial, rashford, Greenwood, etc that responsibility will also motivate them more whereas bringing in outsiders might demotivate.
clubs bring in ex players all the time. To be honest, it’s not even news. They might have been in a couple of times.

edit: and it’s to talk to the younger players.
 

justsomebloke

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clubs bring in ex players all the time. To be honest, it’s not even news. They might have been in a couple of times.

edit: and it’s to talk to the younger players.
Agreed. The main thing here is the more systematic work being done to add key expertise in various areas.
 
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Agreed. The main thing here is the more systematic work being done to add key expertise in various areas.
Yes, that bit is both exciting, and quite disappointing that we don’t have a world class analysis team in place.

for what we pay a couple of squad players a year we could hire a big team of the best analysts in the game. The fact that it’s been missing shows that there’s significant room for improvement.
 

tomaldinho1

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I knew Meredith joined but that was Sept last year. This won’t be popular but if people here want to praise this kind of hiring, it’s Woodward who deserves your kind words, not Ole.
 

youngrell

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Genius from Ole. If we go on a 3 match losing streak and are 5-8th in a few weeks we won’t blame him or the players :lol:

My thoughts: I hope I’m wrong. Also don’t know the full story as only read the headlines but I think it might be a mistake.

1) It undermines what Ole and the players have done by feeling the need to bring in the ex players, many of whom have been critical of the players as pundits and most of whom have flopped as managers and coaches.

2) Let’s be honest, most of the players probably don’t even give two fecks about Giggs or Keane, they respect them as ex players but doesn’t mean they’ll be inspired by them. Those players have lost their aura by being on tv every other week and by being relative failures as managers. This type of thing you do one day when Ronaldo retires, or you bring in someone like Cantona, or even SAF. Giggs? Has anyone actually heard him talk? Not very inspiring. Keane ? Too old school no charisma, great when his in the trenches with you, but the type you’d want to stfu when he’s talking from the outside.

3) In our squad we have De Gea whose won an EPL, we have Pogba whose won a World Cup and several Serie A titles, Bruno whose won stuff and is a born leader, give them the role let them inspire and motivate the likes of martial, rashford, Greenwood, etc that responsibility will also motivate them more whereas bringing in outsiders might demotivate.
Good news is, you are most certainly wrong.

These players adorn the walls at Carrington and are some of our most decorated/celebrated in our history. I'm sure they can easily inspire some of our players, particularly the younger ones.

Oh, and in what sense is Giggs a relative failure as a manager? He has Wales qualified for the Euros and promoted to League A in the Nations League :houllier:
 

Poborsky's hair

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Re the new performance/fitness guys, I don’t want to tempt fate (and I may delete this post!) but we do seem to be better at avoiding injuries than we have in a long time. Even more notable with all our rivals struggling and such a relentless schedule of games to play.
Big part of it could be just a coincidence, I struggle to see why a top team wouldn´t have the best physios possible, however perhaps part of our transfer strategy is also not to buy crocks anymore. All of our recent aquisitions seem injury free. knock knock. Let´s hope it stays like this.